On site service of equipment is often necessary to reduce downtime of the equipment. Difficulties in on-site service may arise due to lack of availability of skilled technicians. Even with skilled technicians it is difficult for a network of technicians to all have vast familiarity with all aspects of a device to be serviced.
When a field service technician encounters a unique problem that cannot be readily resolved in the field, the technician may telephone a more experienced person at a central site. The more experienced person may be, for example, a more experienced service technician or an engineer who had actually developed the equipment. This communication is traditionally established via wireline telephone connection. However, this type of connection requires that telephone service be available immediately proximate the equipment. Otherwise, the field service technician must go back and forth between the equipment to be serviced and the telephone. With present cellular technology, the field service technician might communication via cellular telephone. However, depending on the specific location of the equipment, cellular telephone transmission might prove difficult or not possible.
With telephonic communication the central service technician is relying on audio communication with the field service technician to diagnose the problem. This may be less than ideal, as under some circumstances the field service technician cannot accurately describe the condition of the equipment. This can make the servicing more difficult.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above in a novel and simple manner.